White Lodging – LODGINGhttp://lodgingmagazine.com
Official Publication of AHLA. LODGING covers hotel news and hospitality industry stories.Thu, 24 May 2018 15:41:38 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.6On the Move: This Week’s Comings and Goingshttp://lodgingmagazine.com/move-weeks-comings-goings-5/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/move-weeks-comings-goings-5/#respondThu, 01 Feb 2018 15:03:48 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=35687Edward Maynard will oversee development and revenue growth as president of SIXTY Hotels. Maynard’s goals include maximizing revenue using the company’s existing assets and technology. Before SIXTY, Maynard served as vice president of operations for Denihan Hospitality and has worked for companies including Marriott and Princess Hotels. Here are more of this week’s notable hospitality comings and goings: Anna Baker joined New Castle Hotels & Resorts in 1992 and has advanced to the role of ...

]]>Edward Maynard will oversee development and revenue growth as president of SIXTY Hotels. Maynard’s goals include maximizing revenue using the company’s existing assets and technology. Before SIXTY, Maynard served as vice president of operations for Denihan Hospitality and has worked for companies including Marriott and Princess Hotels.

Here are more of this week’s notable hospitality comings and goings:

Anna Baker joined New Castle Hotels & Resorts in 1992 and has advanced to the role of vice president of corporate accounting. When Baker started with New Castle, she served as a member of the accounts payable team; now, she will oversee external tax and financial accountants.

As market vice president for Milwaukee, Chuck Collins will manage the Milwaukee Hotel Collection for White Lodging. Collins has held a variety of positions for White Lodging, including general manager and director of food and beverage for brands including Hilton and Marriott.

George Maravilla will bring a fresh, unique perspective to his role as vice president of TOWER CAPITAL’s Phoenix office. Prior to his new position, Maravilla was with DMB Associates for 14 years, working in development for communities, country clubs, and residential spaces throughout the United States.

Chesapeake Hospitality has promoted financial expert Cassie Bond to regional vice president of revenue management. Bond has a decade of experience with Chesapeake, having served as revenue manager as well as regional and senior director of revenue management.

Antonio Bugarin is welcomed to the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills team as hotel manager. Bugarin had been a team member for the One&Only Palmilla in Cabo San Lucas for 14 years and began acting as general manager in 2017 to strengthen operations for the property.

After completing a $150 million renovation, the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort has added two executives to the group sales team: Emily Engel will work with groups in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Northeast regions as group account director; and Lindsay Hardee will oversee groups looking for up to 100 rooms as group sales manager.

Looney & Associates architecture and interior design firm has named four new Associates: Brian Belcher; Julianne Cary; Mark Cary; and Jenna Higginbotham. Collectively, the group has shown design expertise for brands including Marriott, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, and Omni, among various independent properties.

Rancho San Lucas, a resort community in Los Cabos, Mexico, welcomes Jonny Hansen as director of real estate. Hansen’s responsibilities include leading development and sales generation as well as understanding the needs of second homebuyers.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/move-weeks-comings-goings-5/feed/0Interstate and White Lodging Close Management Acquisition Dealhttp://lodgingmagazine.com/interstate-closes-management-acquisition-deal-white-lodging/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/interstate-closes-management-acquisition-deal-white-lodging/#respondThu, 25 Jan 2018 13:52:45 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=35545ARLINGTON, Va.—Interstate Hotels & Resorts has closed a deal—first announced in December 2017—to acquire the management agreements for 82 premium-branded, select- and full-service hotels, plus one restaurant, from White Lodging. The deal is effective January 24, 2018. “A transaction of this nature aligns well with our growth strategy and we’re excited with the direction this new expansion is taking us,” says Michael Deitemeyer, Interstate’s president and CEO. “We’ve gained high quality hotels under long-term management ...

]]>ARLINGTON, Va.—Interstate Hotels & Resorts has closed a deal—first announced in December 2017—to acquire the management agreements for 82 premium-branded, select- and full-service hotels, plus one restaurant, from White Lodging. The deal is effective January 24, 2018.

“A transaction of this nature aligns well with our growth strategy and we’re excited with the direction this new expansion is taking us,” says Michael Deitemeyer, Interstate’s president and CEO. “We’ve gained high quality hotels under long-term management agreements, and increased our depth of talent with valued and experienced leadership teams.”

The deal’s closing marks the largest single-day transition for the U.S.-based global hotel management company, adding 2,500 new associates, 78 select-service properties, and four full-service properties under lodging brands including Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton to Interstate’s portfolio.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/interstate-closes-management-acquisition-deal-white-lodging/feed/0Interstate To Acquire Management of 83 Properties from White Lodginghttp://lodgingmagazine.com/interstate-hotels-resorts-to-acquire-management-of-83-properties-from-white-lodging/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/interstate-hotels-resorts-to-acquire-management-of-83-properties-from-white-lodging/#respondFri, 08 Dec 2017 12:57:46 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=34660ARLINGTON, Va.—Interstate Hotels & Resorts, a global third-party hotel management company, announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the management agreements of 82 premium-branded, select- and full-service hotels, plus one restaurant, from White Lodging. The transaction is anticipated to close by the end of January 2018 at which time Interstate will begin managing the hotels. “We will operate this portfolio of high-quality assets under long-term agreements, helping the respective owners achieve increased ...

]]>ARLINGTON, Va.—Interstate Hotels & Resorts, a global third-party hotel management company, announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the management agreements of 82 premium-branded, select- and full-service hotels, plus one restaurant, from White Lodging. The transaction is anticipated to close by the end of January 2018 at which time Interstate will begin managing the hotels.

“We will operate this portfolio of high-quality assets under long-term agreements, helping the respective owners achieve increased long-term value,” said Michael Deitemeyer, Interstate’s president and CEO. “A transaction of this magnitude will allow Interstate to further enhance our industry-leading systems and create additional value through our enhanced buying power. We look forward to welcoming 2,500 new associates to the global Interstate family, and with a transition of this level, further enhancing our leadership pipeline.”

The 82 hotels, of which 78 are select-service, are located in eight states and total 10,188 rooms under lodging brands including Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton. Upon completion of the transaction, Interstate will be operating approximately 540 properties in 12 countries inclusive of the committed pipeline.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/interstate-hotels-resorts-to-acquire-management-of-83-properties-from-white-lodging/feed/0White Lodging Buys Indianapolis Marriott Downtownhttp://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-buys-indianapolis-marriott-downtown/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-buys-indianapolis-marriott-downtown/#respondWed, 20 Jul 2016 19:40:03 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=26208MERRILLVILLE, Ind.—The original developer of the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown closed last week on the purchase of the hotel, reacquiring a property it developed and opened more than 15 years ago. Affiliates of White Lodging Services Corporation and REI Investments purchased the 622-room hotel and plan an extensive renovation for the hotel, scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2017. While White Lodging has managed the hotel since its inception, the reacquisition allows for the ...

]]>MERRILLVILLE, Ind.—The original developer of the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown closed last week on the purchase of the hotel, reacquiring a property it developed and opened more than 15 years ago.

Affiliates of White Lodging Services Corporation and REI Investments purchased the 622-room hotel and plan an extensive renovation for the hotel, scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2017. While White Lodging has managed the hotel since its inception, the reacquisition allows for the company to keep the property in its portfolio for years to come.

“This acquisition is a reaffirmation of our long term commitment and belief in the downtown Indianapolis market and we are thrilled to regain ownership of the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown” said Deno Yiankes, President & CEO, Investments and Development for White Lodging.

“The ability for us to market this property, along with the JW Marriott complex, as a 2,250 guestroom destination offering over 140,000 square feet of meeting and event space will be a compelling advantage not only for our sales team, but for the City of Indianapolis as well.”

White Lodging will strengthen the property’s already dominant position within the market even further through a complete modernization and renovation of all guestrooms, suites, additional upscale meeting space, lobby and food and beverage outlets.

The renovation will include 10 additional guestrooms as well as two new restaurants with open air seating and a reconcepted lobby bar.

The design of the new guestrooms, called Marriott Modern, embraces the ideal of creating contemporary yet warm spaces that are locally influenced. The design was focused on the next generation traveler with an emphasis on lighting and technology as well as reinvented bathrooms.

Connected to the Indiana Convention Center and State Parking Garage, the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown was originally developed and owned by White Lodging, REI Investments and Kite Companies and opened in February 2001. White Lodging has continuously managed the hotel since its inception. The hotel currently offers more than 40,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space with two restaurants and convenient coffee at Starbucks.

Business travelers can stay productive with Wi-Fi access, a full-service business center and easy access via Skywalk to the Indiana Convention Center. Travelers can enjoy the concierge lounge, a renovated fitness center, 24-hour room service and mobile check-in.

As a result of eco responsible efforts, the hotel was officially named a Certified Green Hotel by environmental non-profit Green Seal. The hotel is the first hotel in Indianapolis and one of five Marriott hotels to earn the certification. The organization’s Green Seal Standard for Hotels and Lodging Properties is one of most rigorous in the hospitality industry, requiring compliance with waste management, energy efficiency, water conservation, wastewater management and green procurement standards.

The NCAA Hall of Champions, White River State Park, Lucas Oil Stadium, Eli Lily’s world headquarters and more are located within just a few minutes of the hotel.

Via the skywalk, the hotel is connected to four other White Lodging-managed properties downtown, allowing for easy connection to the JW Marriott, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, and Fairfield Inn Indianapolis Downtown. The complex includes nearly 2,500 rooms and more than 140,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as six restaurants and bars.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-buys-indianapolis-marriott-downtown/feed/0White Lodging to Pay City of Austin $2.4 Millionhttp://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-to-pay-city-of-austin-2-4-million/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-to-pay-city-of-austin-2-4-million/#respondFri, 02 Oct 2015 15:27:52 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=20963A labor dispute that has been ongoing for years ended on Oct. 1 when the Austin City Council approved a settlement that requires White Lodging to pay the city $2.4 million, according to KVUE ABC. In 2011, the council approved an incentive deal that waived $2.4 million in fees, given that White Lodging paid construction workers a prevailing wage. After the city learned that 12 workers were underpaid, the deal was revoked. The settlement requires ...

]]>A labor dispute that has been ongoing for years ended on Oct. 1 when the Austin City Council approved a settlement that requires White Lodging to pay the city $2.4 million, according to KVUE ABC.

In 2011, the council approved an incentive deal that waived $2.4 million in fees, given that White Lodging paid construction workers a prevailing wage. After the city learned that 12 workers were underpaid, the deal was revoked.

The settlement requires White Lodging to drop its lawsuit against the city, and the city will drop the counter suit.

The article cites the following statement from Kathleen Sebastian, White Lodging’s director of communications:

“The fee waiver dispute was an unfortunate exception to what has otherwise been a great working relationship with the city. We have been pleased with the city’s support and cooperation in our development of the hotel. The reception of the hotel by visitors to Austin and local Austinites alike has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are pleased that we were able to settle the dispute by making a payment that will largely be used by the city on programs designed to develop and benefit the downtown Austin business district.”

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-to-pay-city-of-austin-2-4-million/feed/0Why White Lodging Sees Hyatt Place as a Solid Investmenthttp://lodgingmagazine.com/why-white-lodging-sees-hyatt-place-as-a-solid-investment/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/why-white-lodging-sees-hyatt-place-as-a-solid-investment/#respondMon, 31 Aug 2015 12:00:37 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=20211During his college years, Deno Yiankes worked at White Lodging’s first managed hotel, a Holiday Inn in the company’s hometown of Merrillville, Ind. Since rejoining the team in 1990, Yiankes, now president and CEO of the investments and development division, has seen White Lodging grow to operate more than 160 hotels in 20 states. While the company works with a variety of premium-branded, select- and full-service hotels, Yiankes says the growth of Hyatt Place has been ...

]]>During his college years, Deno Yiankes worked at White Lodging’s first managed hotel, a Holiday Inn in the company’s hometown of Merrillville, Ind. Since rejoining the team in 1990, Yiankes, now president and CEO of the investments and development division, has seen White Lodging grow to operate more than 160 hotels in 20 states. While the company works with a variety of premium-branded, select- and full-service hotels, Yiankes says the growth of Hyatt Place has been especially impressive. Here’s why White Lodging sees Hyatt Place as a solid investment and considers Hyatt Hotels a good business partner.

How many Hyatt-branded properties does White Lodging own and/or manage? We just opened a Hyatt Place that we operate for the Weglarz Company at Midway Airport in Chicago on June 7, so that’s our seventh Hyatt-affiliated project. It has 148 rooms with all the latest and greatest prototype standards and design. We’re also building our first dual-branded Hyatt Place/Hyatt House in downtown Denver, less than a block from the convention center, which will open in November.

What makes Hyatt Place so appealing? We find that it’s getting better each year. We opened our first one in early 2013 when the brand was still in the uptick. The momentum they’ve had since then has been really impressive for us, in terms of their market share growth and pipeline growth. Those are things we look at as we develop more hotels.

Hyatt Place has about 220 hotels and a goal of 300 in three years. If you look at their competitive set, the Hilton Garden Inns, Courtyards, and Hampton Inns of the world, Hyatt Place is only a third of the way there. That cuts both ways. It makes it tougher to be dominant in the market share category when you only have that many properties, but the flipside is, the run room for the next three-to-five years when you’re building new hotels, there are a lot more opportunities.

We also find it’s a very strong product on the weekends. Most of our properties are urban, so the product lends itself to urban travelers, families, or leisure. And we’d like to continue to see the business traveler side increasing during mid-week in terms of their reservation contribution.

What has White Lodging’s experience been working with Hyatt? We’ve been impressed with the senior leadership teams; they’ve been great at listening to not only ours, but other franchisees’ input. The amount of changes for the better that they’ve allowed us to give input on over the last three years has been great. Initially, they were a little less likely to grant us some flexibility, mainly on design and construction-related issues, but they have taken a partnership approach and listened and even adjusted how they get from A to B to accommodate some of the changes that the franchise owner group has requested.

What advice would you give to a hotel industry newbie? The real value is created in the operations side of the business. If you’re a great builder or real estate talent, that helps, but it’s all for naught if you don’t have an operating company that can deliver, day in and day out, great results and great guest experiences. I’d also make sure they were aware of the significant uptick in the last 18 months in construction costs, both on materials and labor. We had about a four-year trend where we were seeing little to no inflationary increases. But in the last 18 months, it’s more than made up for those four years. So it’s highly likely it’s going to cost more than what you think it should cost. That’s assuming you’re in high-growth markets. If you go to some of the more tertiary or suburban markets, it may not be as extreme.

What’s your industry outlook? We’re having a very solid first half of the year, and it’s probably our fifth or sixth consecutive year of solid increases both in terms of top line and profits. We keep looking back and saying, what are we missing? What’s going to cause the hiccup? I don’t generally agree that it’s going to be supply, I think it will be something more geopolitical or global. But we’re not worrying about it; we’re focusing on making hay while we can.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/why-white-lodging-sees-hyatt-place-as-a-solid-investment/feed/0White Lodging to Manage SpringHill Suites Milwaukeehttp://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-to-manage-springhill-suites-milwaukee-downtown/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-to-manage-springhill-suites-milwaukee-downtown/#respondFri, 28 Aug 2015 14:31:58 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=20312MERRILLVILLE, Ind.—White Lodging will once again partner with Milwaukee-based Jackson Street Holdings to manage the 155-suite SpringHill Suites Milwaukee Downtown. Located at the corner of 4th and Wells streets, the SpringHill Suites Milwaukee Downtown, which is scheduled to open in spring 2016, will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by JSWD Commerce, an affiliate of Jackson Street Holdings and managed by White Lodging Services. The hotel will occupy a converted historic office building built in ...

]]>MERRILLVILLE, Ind.—White Lodging will once again partner with Milwaukee-based Jackson Street Holdings to manage the 155-suite SpringHill Suites Milwaukee Downtown. Located at the corner of 4th and Wells streets, the SpringHill Suites Milwaukee Downtown, which is scheduled to open in spring 2016, will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by JSWD Commerce, an affiliate of Jackson Street Holdings and managed by White Lodging Services.

The hotel will occupy a converted historic office building built in 1928, known as the Commerce Building. Located across the street from Milwaukee’s convention center, the Wisconsin Center, the hotel offers guests convenient access from the Historic Third Ward district, the shores of Lake Michigan, and the Milwaukee River Walk. The hotel will be the first new hotel to be connected to the Wisconsin Center in 15 years.

“This will be Jackson Street Holdings’ third hotel in the city and their second historic preservation,” said Chris Anderson, White Lodging senior vice president and chief revenue officer. “They are truly changing the landscape of Milwaukee. When you bring award-winning developers, architects and management together, great things happen.”

“We are excited to once again partner with Jackson Street Holdings on this new hotel that will be a key addition for convention attendees and business travelers with its indoor connection to the Center, offering guests the city’s newest suites in a unique historic building,” Anderson said. “This hotel will also be the only hotel connected to the Wisconsin Center that offers free Wi-Fi, complimentary hot breakfast, and all-suite guestrooms.”

In the suites, separate living, working, and sleeping spaces provide guests with flexibility and functionality. A pullout sofa bed and lounge chair offer additional space for relaxation or extra family members. The bathroom includes a marble-top vanity, iridescent tile walls, and creative lighting features. Business travelers can take advantage of a large, well-lit desk with ergonomic chair. Complimentary Wi-Fi in the hotel’s lobby and high-speed Internet access in every suite allow guests to remain connected at all times.

Featuring a brand new design, the lobby features warm colors, accent fabrics, and walnut-stained wood, and is ideal for conducting casual meetings or simply to socialize. The property has a variety of meeting space to accommodate meetings and functions of up to 100 people. The hotel also offers business services, same-day dry cleaning, guest laundry facilities, a fitness center, and daily complimentary hot breakfast. In the lobby, the Market offers 24/7 access to food and beverages.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-to-manage-springhill-suites-milwaukee-downtown/feed/0White Lodging Assumes Management of Two Hilton Garden Innshttp://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-assumes-management-of-two-hilton-garden-inns/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-assumes-management-of-two-hilton-garden-inns/#respondMon, 06 Jul 2015 14:59:00 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=19349MERRILLVILLE, Ind.—White Lodging announced it has officially taken over management of the Hilton Garden Inn Merrillville in Indiana and the Hilton Garden Inn Hoffman Estates in Illinois. These hotels mark White Lodging’s 18th and 19th Hilton Garden Inn properties in its portfolio. “We are extremely excited to have the Hilton Garden Inn Merrillville join the White Lodging family of hotels,” said Chris Majchrowicz, regional director of operations. “The hotel and team do an outstanding job ...

]]>MERRILLVILLE, Ind.—White Lodging announced it has officially taken over management of the Hilton Garden Inn Merrillville in Indiana and the Hilton Garden Inn Hoffman Estates in Illinois. These hotels mark White Lodging’s 18th and 19th Hilton Garden Inn properties in its portfolio.

“We are extremely excited to have the Hilton Garden Inn Merrillville join the White Lodging family of hotels,” said Chris Majchrowicz, regional director of operations. “The hotel and team do an outstanding job and will be a welcome addition to the Northwest Indiana team.”

Hilton Garden Inn Merrillville will be brought into the White Lodging portfolio under the leadership of Majchrowicz.

Hilton Garden Inn Hoffman Estates will be brought into the White Lodging portfolio under the leadership of Mark Aftanski, regional vice president and Adam Miller, general manager.

“We are excited to be taken over by White Lodging and look forward to taking our scores to the next level for our guests,” said Miller. Miller has 14 years of hospitality experience, and will continue to be the general manager after the acquisition.

“We are very excited to continue to grow our portfolio and strengthen our presence in the Chicago Suburbs,” said Aftanski.”This hotel is a great asset in a prime location. We know our guests will enjoy everything this hotel has to offer.”

The 124-room Hilton Garden Inn Merrillville is located at the Northeast corner of the intersection of I-65 and Route 30. This area is commonly known as the crossroads of Northwest Indiana and is within 45 minutes of downtown Chicago. The hotel features 3,500 square feet of meeting and event space.

The 184-room Hilton Garden Inn Hoffman Estates is located on I-90 with access to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The hotel features 2,000 square fee of flexible meeting space with on-site catering.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-assumes-management-of-two-hilton-garden-inns/feed/0White Lodging Experiences Data Breachhttp://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-experiences-data-breach/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-experiences-data-breach/#respondThu, 09 Apr 2015 14:22:52 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=17896On April 8, officials at White Lodging Services Corporation announced it had experienced a suspected data breach at 10 food and beverage outlets between July 3, 2014 and Feb. 6, 2015. Systems other than the point of sales systems are not believed to be impacted by the breach. Guests who did not use a credit card or who charged to their room account are also not thought to be affected. The properties affected are Indianapolis ...

]]>On April 8, officials at White Lodging Services Corporation announced it had experienced a suspected data breach at 10 food and beverage outlets between July 3, 2014 and Feb. 6, 2015. Systems other than the point of sales systems are not believed to be impacted by the breach. Guests who did not use a credit card or who charged to their room account are also not thought to be affected.

“After suffering a malware incident in 2014, we took various actions to prevent a recurrence, including engaging a third party security firm to provide security technology and managed services,” said Dave Sibley, White Lodging president and CEO, Hospitality Management. “These security measures were unable to stop the current malware occurrence on point of sale systems at food and beverage outlets in 10 hotels that we manage. We continue to remain committed to investing in the measures necessary to protect the personal information entrusted to us by our valuable guests. We deeply regret and apologize for this situation.”

The company is still working with credit card companies and investigators to solve the matter. The accessed data is suspected to include credit card numbers, security codes, expiration dates, and names on the credit cards.

To remedy the situation, White Lodging is offering one year of complimentary fraud resolution and identity protection services to affected customers.

]]>http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-experiences-data-breach/feed/0White Lodging Names SVP, Full Service Operationshttp://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-names-jason-kreul-svp-full-service-operations/
http://lodgingmagazine.com/white-lodging-names-jason-kreul-svp-full-service-operations/#respondFri, 13 Feb 2015 14:47:04 +0000http://lodgingmagazine.com/?p=16813MERRILLVILLE, Ind.—White Lodging has announced Jason Kreul as senior vice president of full service operations. “I’m excited to welcome Jason to White Lodging and this new position as our company continues to grow,” said Keith Daub, chief operating officer for the company’s full service portfolio. “Jason comes to us with a vast background of knowledge and experience, as well as successful leadership in the hospitality industry. I’m looking forward to the impact he will make ...

]]>MERRILLVILLE, Ind.—White Lodging has announced Jason Kreul as senior vice president of full service operations.

“I’m excited to welcome Jason to White Lodging and this new position as our company continues to grow,” said Keith Daub, chief operating officer for the company’s full service portfolio. “Jason comes to us with a vast background of knowledge and experience, as well as successful leadership in the hospitality industry. I’m looking forward to the impact he will make within our organization.”

Kreul brings more than 20 years of hospitality experience to White Lodging. Most recently, he was the senior vice president of operations at Winegardner & Hammons, where he was responsible for maximizing operational results. He also spent two years as the vice president of food & beverage with the same company. Kreul led the openings of hotel restaurants, implementing brand initiatives, and F&B concept development. He was instrumental in establishing the processes in all areas of F&B, which resulted in the company winning the Marriott Food & Beverage Excellence Award on multiple occasions.

As general manager, Kreul led the Marriott Cincinnati North to become the No. 1 ranked hotel in guest satisfaction in the Marriott system in 2010. During his tenure at the hotel, the hotel was recognized by the Greater Cincinnati Business Courier as a “Best Place to Work,” earning a place in the “Hall of Fame.” He also held general manager positions at the Marriott Cincinnati RiverCenter, Marriott Clearwater Beach Hotel, Columbus Marriott Northwest, and the Ohio University Inn & Conference Center.

Kreul currently holds or has held positions on the Marriott International Rooms Advisory Board, the Food and Beverage Advisory Board, as the past president of the Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association, and the past president of the Greater Cincinnati Lodging Council.